Standard Disclaimer

In the deepening shadows of the forest, within a clearing, they stood watching each other.

She could see it in his eyes; that calculating look. He was evaluating her, while she stood frozen like a genin caught in a shadow bind.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. We weren't supposed to meet here. Naruto was supposed to bring him back. Why isn't Naruto here?

"Sasuke?"

"Sakura."

She felt the passage of his body as he swept passed her, then all she knew was darkness.

"Naruto, where are we going?"

"I got a message from Sasuke." Naruto replied, still pulling her along.

"What? Why are you taking me? I don't want to see him." Karin began tearing at his hand as he gripped her wrist tighter. "Let me go!"

He continued through the forest, ignoring her attempts to free herself.

"Naruto, you have the wrong girl! You want Sakura! Sakura wants to see Sasuke!"

Naruto paused and shot her a baleful look, "He's already got Sakura."

Sakura woke to a swaying motion.

Her shoulders hurt because her arms were tied behind her back, and her stomach ached because she was currently slung over a hard shoulder like a sack of produce. She was surprised, though, that she had not been gagged, and that they were walking through the forest, not hopping through the trees.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn." (If you keep talking, I will gag you.)

"Where are you taking me?" Please don't let it be your hideout! I don't know what you got up to with Orochimaru and Kabuto, but I do not want to see your secret laboratory!

"Hn." (We're going to see Naruto.)

Sakura felt herself tear up. He's coming home!

"Ha, don't make me laugh."

What are you, a mind reader now?

"Hn." (You're easy to read.)

Well, this is fucking fantastic!

Sasuke stopped walking and put her down. He raised her head to look at him.

"Hm." (I sensed something has changed.)

She raised an eyebrow at him, No shit, Sherlock! She almost laughed when he visibly recoiled. But she was upright, and she realised that now was her best chance to escape. She stared back at him evenly, amused to see the confusion in his face, as she tested the strength of the rope around her wrists. She snapped it with very little effort, though she kept her arms behind her.

"Hn." (I've had enough. We're going now.)

He moved to pick her back up but she punched him and turned to run. But even as he flew across the clearing, he lashed out at her. She hit the ground; a long, purple cord wrapped around her waist.

"Are you shitting me?" Sakura struggled against the cord. She couldn't believe that he'd captured her with that pathetic arse bow.

"Come back here!" Sasuke yelled, hauling on the rope and dragging Sakura backwards even as he stepped toward her.

"No! Let me go!" She thrashed about, digging her feet and hands into what ever surface she could find purchase on.

Sasuke hauled her upright and she crashed into him, sending them both flying backwards, crashing through the foliage.

"Are we lost?" Karin sighed.

"No, not at all! I know where we are! We're here!"

"And where is here, idiot?"

Naruto looked down at Karin. She'd flopped down onto the ground and was refusing to budge an inch. He'd tried to pick her up but she'd slipped out of his grasp as easily as an eel. He crouched in front of her.

She fell back startled by his sudden proximity. "What?"

"You're a sensor. Can you sense them?"

With his big, hopeful eyes right in her face, she could do nothing else but relent and help him. She closed her eyes and reached out her senses, searching for that dark chakra that had once attracted her. Then she groaned.

"Back off, Naruto. All I can sense is you!"

"Heh, sorry." He grinned sheepishly and moved away, "Is that better?"

"No, you're still too bright."

He jumped backwards, moving further away from her. "How about now?"

"It's no good! You're too close!" He is so gullible!

Sakura stared up at Sasuke. He'd pinned her to the ground and the impact had knocked the wind out of her. She lay still, except for her chest which was heaving in an attempt to draw in air. He glared down at her.

"Hn." (Why did you have to make this so difficult?)

"What are you going to do to me?" She managed to ask through her gasps.

"I'm going to kill you in front of Naruto." He replied.

Her eyes widened in horror. He continued, "Then, I'm going to extract the Kyuubi and take over the world, just as Madara planned."

There was an almost maniacal gleam in his eyes as he spoke and Sakura couldn't believe he was serious. Seriously insane, is more like it!

"You monster!" She shouted, struggling against him, trying to push him off. He threw her back onto the ground and she fell back motionless, winded by the impact. She looked up into his face and became confused.

Gone was the sparkle of insanity, gone was the raging need for vengeance, or the overpowering urge for world domination; all replaced by, startlingly enough, curiosity.

"What?"

"Do that again."

"Do what?"

He shifted his grip on her wrists, tightening his hold and causing her to cry out in pain. She tried to twist away from him but there was downward pressure on her legs. Above her, he closed his eyes; his breathing shallow, and her mouth dropped open.

Oh, that's just great!

"Yes, it is!"

"Can you sense them yet?" Naruto yelled through the trees. He couldn't see Karin anymore, and he could barely hear her movements.

"Not yet." Karin called over her shoulder, smiling to herself as she wandered through the forest. She'd given up trying to sense Sasuke; she wasn't exactly overjoyed with the thought of a reunion. In fact, she'd closed herself off, so she couldn't be found that way herself. Probably not her smartest idea today.

"Hey, Karin! I've finally found you!"

She froze. She knew that voice. Sure, the relief in it when it said her name was new, but that voice would catch in her ears like the constant ringing of a bell. She closed her eyes and wished that her luck was better.

"Karin?"

She wished harder.

"I can see you, you know. Standing still won't make you blend into the trees."

She grit her teeth, still unwilling to face the facts.

"Especially with that hair!"

"Suigetsu! You arse!"

She leaped at him, with his smirking face, fully intending on destroying it, right down to the last tooth. Instead, she found herself being hugged tightly to his chest, unable to move at all.

"Hey, I'm happy to see you too, but we're in public right now!"

"If you think I'm happy to see you, you're sadly mistaken!" She growled up at him, only to become further enraged when he leaned down. She tried to pull back but there was only so far she could move.

"Don't say things like that." He murmured, "You'll hurt my feelings."

By now, she was severely unnerved, and he took advantage of it. Her eyes widened in shock, his crinkled in amusement. She tore herself away from him and he let her go, taking up a contemplative stance.

"That's interesting."

She paused in her gagging to look at him quizzically.

"I didn't expect that I would like it." He stated, turning to her with a predatory grin on his face.

She backed away from him, and ran into a tree.

"I think I'd enjoy doing that again."

With a startled cry, Karin turned and fled through the forest, searching for Naruto's bright, shiny chakra, and praying that it was the wind and not dark laughter in her ears.

"Sasuke, stop playing with them." Sakura huffed, looking away from the glee evident in his face.

"No." He replied with a sharp glance at her face. His hands stopped as his eyes focussed on a new part of Sakura's body. He loomed over her and his shadow drew her attention back to him. "Why do I want to kiss you?"

She swallowed nervously, as he leaned in closer and closer; his eyes trained on her lips. They made contact, briefly, before Sasuke went berserk. Sakura tried to keep up with him, but she had no hope. Eventually, she lay back and let him continue assaulting her face. He'd moved on from her lips, anyway.

"Karin? Have you found them yet?" Naruto called for what had to have been the hundredth time. Suddenly, he was bowled over by a flying, red-haired bundle.

"Naruto? You have to save me!" Karin pleaded, gripping his jacket like her life depended on it.

"Why, what's happening?"

Before she could answer, Suigetsu landed on a branch above them.

"Karin, I wasn't finished yet." He pouted. "Don't you want to see where we end up?"

Karin climbed off Naruto, propped him up and hid behind him. "I want you to fight him, beat his sorry arse and take me back to the village." She whispered, "Do all that, and I'll make sure you get a girlfriend."

Naruto looked over at the other man, who had landed on the ground in front of them. He wasn't threatening, though he was carrying a large, very familiar sword. In fact, he looked upset, like his favourite toy was missing.

"I can't fight him!" Naruto whined, "Look at him! He's upset!"

"Then make him cry! Just get me out of here!"

Naruto stared at her, absolutely appalled, "Make him cry? You want me to kick him while he's down?" He pointed over at Suigetsu, who had turned away and was wiping at his eyes.

"Kick, punch, I don't care!" Karin answered nervously, "Just get it over with."

Naruto folded his arms and looked at her sternly, "I won't do that. He's obviously upset and I think you had something to do with it, so go over there and apologize."

"What? Are you mad? I will not!" She too, folded her arms and turned away from the spectacle Suigetsu was making. "And there is something extremely strange going on. Since when were you my father?"

"You aren't enjoying this."

Sakura looked up at the statement. "No, actually, I'm not."

"Why not?"

"Because you aren't very good at this." Sakura replied without thinking. She regretted it when Sasuke flinched. After all, being the centre of his inexperienced and lustful attentions was still better than being killed in front of their team mate.

"You're lying. I'm the best at everything I do."

Sakura tried to smother a laugh, but a small measure of mirth slipped out. Sasuke's eyebrows drew together and he frowned.

"You will enjoy this." He ordered.

She shot him a look that said: go ahead; we'll see which one of us is right.

Five minutes later, he started whining, "Sakura, now I'm not enjoying it!"

She smirked smugly.

"Fine, then we'll go find Naruto. I've had enough of this distraction." He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder once more. He swallowed thickly as he realised that her backside was hanging right next to his face and the after affects were making it difficult to walk.

He'd only made it five steps when Sakura spoke up.

"You know, if you'd untie me, I could make it all better."

"How?"

Naruto followed behind Karin as they left the forest, smiling widely and extremely satisfied with the turn of events. Karin was extremely dissatisfied, since Suigetsu was now hanging off her arm and shooting sideways glances at her. She walked a little faster, hoping he'd trip, and grumbled under her breath when he didn't.

"What were you doing in the forest anyway?" Suigetsu asked, rubbing against Karin's side like a puppy.

"We were looking for Sasuke." Naruto replied, "He's kidnapped Sakura apparently."

Karin shot him a confused look. His attitude had vastly changed while they were in the forest. He'd dragged her in there ready to kill his "best friend", and now he was completely unconcerned that Sakura was missing.

"Isn't Sakura that cute, pink-haired chick?" Suigetsu asked, before leaning over to Karin and whispering in her ear that she was ten times, no a hundred times better looking so she wouldn't be offended. She flinched away from him.

"Yep, that's her."

"They have some sort of history?" Suigetsu asked, since Karin was pushing his face away from her. "Or is she just like every other girl on the planet?"

"Oh, you noticed that too?" Naruto asked, though he was still smiling.

Karin stopped, jerking Suigetsu to a halt and causing Naruto to walk into them.

"Alright, what happened?" She demanded.

The two males looked at her in confusion.

"When we went into that forest, you, Naruto, were looking for something Sasuke-shaped to murder! Now you're all happy, sunshine and rainbows! It's making me sick!"

"What's your point?" Naruto asked, still with his wide grin in place.

"You don't think that's a little weird? Did you just give up on Sakura coming back? Do you think Sasuke's just going to let her go?"

"Yeah, what she said!" Suigetsu piped up, only to cower when Karin turned to glare at him.

"Don't even get me started on you!" She snarled, pointing a finger in his face. "I knew all along you had ulterior motives but pulling the kicked puppy act was low, even for you. Not to mention completely out of character!"

Suigetsu seemed to withdraw into himself, poking his index fingers together nervously, while he shuffled his feet.

As Karin continued to yell at him, Naruto was sensing an incoming message.

Hey, brat. Doesn't that look familiar? Like really familiar?

Naruto was searching his memory banks frantically, trying to recall the face that matched that action.

"Ahah! Hinata!" He yelled triumphantly.

Normally this sort of outburst would cause all sorts of laughter and ridicule to be levied at the outburstee, but in this case, the onlookers appeared to be busy making out on the ground, ironically at Karin's instigation. Not that Suigetsu was protesting.

"Wow!"

"I told you so."

"Sakura, no one likes to hear that."

She rolled over onto his chest and smirked down at him. "Are you going to keep your word?"

He stared up at her then looked away, "Fine, I won't kill you."

"In front of Naruto or otherwise."

"Right."

"And?"

"And I'll return to Konoha."

"Excellent." She snuggled her head into the curve of his neck.

"But you have to square it with the Hokage. I'm not going to jail. And we have to do this every day!"

"Fine. Fine, whatever." She replied sleepily.

KNOCK KNOCK

Hinata looked up as Neji entered her private study.

"Excuse me, Hinata. But you have a visitor and I think you should greet him as soon as you are able."

Hinata thanked him quietly and hurried to the gates of the estate, where Naruto was pacing anxiously.

"N-Naruto?"

"Hinata! It's you! Can you do that thing that you used to do?" He asked loudly as he pounced on her.

"Ah, w-what th-thing is th-that?" She asked, her fingers twirling around each other in front of her as she blushed bright red.

Naruto watched them in movement for a moment, then he stopped her. "Not like that. Like this."

He pushed the tips of her index fingers together briefly, before pulling them apart, repeatedly.

"Yeah, that's it!"

"But why?"

His response was to swoop down and plant his lips on hers. His kisses were frenzied and soon he was pawing at her jacket and whining. Hinata was unable to protest until Neji pulled Naruto off her and threw him to the ground. On impact, Naruto's body went tumbling over and over, until eventually he came to a stop on his stomach.

"Naruto?" Hinata exclaimed, delivering a gentle palm to Neji's stomach when he tried to prevent her from attending her injured guest. "Naruto? Are you alright?"

She touched his jacket and her hand came away sticky and quickly turned green. She sniffed it tentatively before holding it away from her face. She quickly checked Naruto over and found a growing patch of green skin on his back.

"Hinata, what is that?" Neji coughed, kneeling next to her and still holding his stomach.

"It's pollen from the ambrosias plant!" Hinata exclaimed, "We have to wash it off!"

A passing patrol collected Karin and Suigetsu from the edge of the forest three hours later. They were hauled in under the charges of indecent exposure and lewd acts in a public place. They were later transferred to isolation.

Sakura led Sasuke into Konoha early the next morning and both were immediately swept away into quarantine.

All charges relating to the excursion in to the forest were later dropped.

Tsunade looked over the six young people in her office. Apart from Hinata, she was both bemused and appalled with their behaviour.

"Alright, I accept the Uchiha brat's return to the village." She announced, though she was giving him a good glare. "And I'll consider allowing water boy and the shrew to stay here awhile."

She watched them cower under her displeasure. "But not one of you is to go into that forest again!"

Shizune leaned over to her and whispered something in her ear.

"And you will all, with the exception of Hinata, take remedial classes about identifying dangerous plants and avoiding the affects of aphrodisiacs."